Mae West was a actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol who who known for her bawdy type language. She made a name for herself in Vaudeville and on the stage in New York before moving to Hollywood to become a comedienne in the motion picture industry. West was one of the more controversial movie stars of her day, encountering many problems including censorship. When her film career ended, she continued to perform on stage in Las Vegas and on radio and television.